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I stayed with her, refusing to let her fight alone like I had all those years. She still shied away from our touches so I sat nearby, watching in silence and hoping that companionship would help her.
The trouble with trauma was that it latched on and even when you thought you’d left it in the past it would pop up at the worst times.
After telling her my history, I could feel the memories pushing at me. Usually I would be transported right back to those dark days in my house, my father’s fists and words beating me down.
It was her that kept me grounded this time.
She let out small grunts as she launched the stones at the water and I focused on that. Her muscles flexed with each throw and her face was set in determination. It was the first time I’d ever seen her fight against her past this hard and I was so fucking proud of her.
Her dark hair was shining in the afternoon sun as it rose over our heads. Her brown eyes were warmer now and I swear a few of the shadows I’d witnessed there before were receding. She was gorgeous. Breathtaking, even.
Lake had told us stories about her and I felt like I knew her in some ways. I’d nearly fucked it up when I thought she was dying. Smelling my mate then realizing she might not survive was almost my undoing.
Yet she was fighting then and is still fighting.
She didn’t want to drown, she wanted to swim. So, I was here giving her a life vest and teaching her how to reach the shore.
Now that she was fighting her past and trying to overcome her grief, I hoped she was willing to give us a chance. Her pack would never look the same as anyone else’s. She wore his mark and the pain of that loss would mark her forever.
When I saw he bit her I felt like my world stopped for a moment. I’d only met her and I nearly broke that day we found her. I couldn’t imagine falling in love with her completely then losing her forever.
Fuck, even the thought had me rubbing at my chest, the ache too strong to ignore.
As she threw her stones into the lake I made a promise to myself to give her the world. She deserved new adventures that brought her happiness and someone to take care of her on the days that getting out of bed felt like too much work.
She’d have those days. I still did. But facing them alone was no longer in the cards for her. We’d rally around her, make sure she felt supported, and never leave her side.
We were a pack. She was slowly warming up to that thought and I couldn’t wait until she gave in completely.
Until then I’d wait for her. She was worth it.
ChapterFourteen
Shaye
Riven stayed with me on that dock until the sun was high in the sky. He didn’t push me any further, he just let me stare out at the water as he sang softly to himself.
His voice was husky and a bit smokey, filling the air with soothing words that filled my soul with something I didn’t know it was missing.
He even collected new pebbles when I ran out completely and tossed them in with me.
When my stomach rumbled, he’d had enough. He got to his feet and held out a hand for me. His eyes pleaded with me to let go, to come with him a new omega.
It felt like he was asking me for so much more than simply helping me up, but I put my hand in his regardless. Warmth shot through my palm and I let it spread through me, chasing off the chill of the morning.
After a few hours of quiet contemplation and screaming into the void, I actually did feel a lot better. I felt like I finally had an outlet for getting out those angry thoughts that wouldn’t let me out of their hold.
Deep down I knew that it wasn’t Everett’s fault for leaving me, but he left me regardless, and I was allowed to experience all the emotions that came with that.
Most of all, I knew I was allowed to experience life.
Riven was definitely right about not tying myself up in them and having nothing else. I needed to be more than my potential pack.
The rift between Lake and I felt vast, and I knew I had to take some strides to fix that. Maybe some one-on-one time would help. We also had several more destinations to visit over the next week or so. We would find time.
Everett had me excited to discover what he’d left behind in the game, but for today, I needed to heal. I needed time to exist with myself, whether it was with them or not.
“Ride with me. We’ll come back for your car,” Riven said. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to his big truck, lifting me into place like I was delicate and strapping me in. He put his foot on the sidebar and pulled himself up so that he could face me.
